Binghamton University: A Review

What is Binghamton University, if not pointless, dull, and plebian? People ask me the best part about this school and my answer is that “I can leave a year early.” NoâÂ?¦ I’m not really kidding. From the class sizes which range into the hundreds even for upper level classes, to the lack of individualism, to the pathetic excuse for “alcohol education” that they hypocritically pretend to teach us.

Seriously, look at the course catalog before coming here. Any 300-level class is considered an “upper-level” class, they claim that your classes will be smaller as they thin out to your major. However, History 386f has a roster of over 200 kids but let’s not think its just the history department. Philosophy 345. Math 323. And many classes have rosters over 100 too. Management 311. Biology 311. And the list GOES on…

The school does not treat kids individually. My social security number got admitted to this school and is required on ABSOLUTELY everything. Not your last name but your freaking social security number. ON YOUR CLASS SIGN UPS. TO GET A MEAL CARD. You need to know your number. It’s a pretty sick thing. There is no thought to individualism in this school of limited thought.

Then comes their new freshman initiative of Alcohol Edu. The second you start the program they tell you that only 40% of people who have had alcohol education in high school fail their test without having taken the full course. It seems that they’d be reasonable. Seems to me that they would allow us to take their test first to see if we were in that 60% who WOULD HAVE PASSED IT ANYWAY. But they don’t. C’est la vie. Some sections are supposedly test outable, however, they still make mention of those things you’ve supposedly tested out of. And wonderfully since I told them I don’t drink, the phrase “As an abstainer…” is repeated many, many times. It is a very grating process.

Then, they offer beer and other such alcoholic drinks at their Basketball games. They make only lackluster attempts to keep you on campus on weekends with their “Late Nite Binghamton,” its gross and kids don’t go. Then of course, everything is closed early and opened late on weekends. Like the library open 24X5 but not on freaking weekends. What do people not do work then?

Binghamton, look up hell and see cold. Look, the school is ok if you grit your teeth and bear it. The tuition is the right price and that’s what keeps people coming. If you get money elsewhere, run. That is all.